The Daily, Monday, June 30, 2003. Employment Insurance

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Employment Insurance

The estimated number of Canadians (adjusted for seasonality) receiving regular Employment Insurance benefits in April increased 1.3% from March to 543,430. This was the third consecutive monthly rise and was primarily due to increases in Ontario (+3.1%), British Columbia (+2.9%), Alberta (+2.3%) and Saskatchewan (+2.1%). The rise in Quebec (+0.9%) was slightly lower than the national increase, while Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador recorded declines.

Also on a seasonally adjusted basis, regular benefit payments in April totalled $688.7 million, while the number of people making initial and renewal claims was 247,740.

Number of beneficiaries receiving regular benefits

April 2003^p

March to April 2003

April 2002 to April 2003

Seasonally adjusted

% change

Canada

543,430

1.3

1.2

Newfoundland and Labrador

37,350

-0.3

6.2

Prince Edward Island

8,290

1.7

6.4

Nova Scotia

29,760

-0.6

0.9

New Brunswick

33,910

0.4

2.9

Quebec

179,750

0.9

1.7

Ontario

135,410

3.1

0.4

Manitoba

12,800

-1.3

-4.8

Saskatchewan

11,540

2.1

0.3

Alberta

32,720

2.3

2.9

British Columbia

62,850

2.9

-3.5

Yukon

940

0.0

5.6

Northwest Territories and Nunavut

1,100

1.9

Unadjusted

Northwest Territories

850

7.6

1.2

Nunavut

340

9.7

3.0

^p	Preliminary figures.

Note: With this release, a historical revision of all data series back to January 1997 has been implemented. The revision slightly updated all seasonally adjusted series and also improved the coding of individuals to sub-provincial areas.

Employment Insurance Statistics Program data are produced from an administrative data source and may, from time to time, be affected by changes to the Employment Insurance Act or administrative procedures.

The number of beneficiaries is a measure of all persons who received Employment Insurance benefits for the week containing the fifteenth day of the month. The regular benefit payments series measures the total of all monies received by individuals for the entire month.

Employment insurance statistics

April 2003

March 2003

April 2002

March to April 2003

April 2002 to April 2003

Seasonally adjusted

% change

Regular beneficiaries

543,430^p

536,550^p

537,000

1.3

1.2

Regular benefits paid ($ millions)

688.7^p

748.6

723.4

-8.0

-4.8

Claims received ('000)

247.7^p

248.9

235.7

-0.5

5.1

Unadjusted

% change

All beneficiaries ('000)

897.2^p

968.7^p

892.2

-7.4

0.6

Regular beneficiaries ('000)

617.9^p

685.8^p

609.8

-9.9

1.3

Claims received ('000)

198.1

223.3

206.3

-11.3

-4.0

Payments ($ millions)

1,382.7

1,573.5

1,657.7

-12.1

-16.6

Year-to-date (January to April)

2003

2002

2002 to 2003

% change

Claims received ('000)

961.5

939.2

2.4

Payments ($ millions)

5,775.2

5,902.9

-2.2

^p	Preliminary figures.
Note:	"All beneficiaries" includes all claimants receiving regular benefits (for example, as a result of layoff) or special benefits (for example, because of illness).

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 2604.

For general information or to order data, contact Client Services (1-866-873-8788; 613-951-4090; labour@statcan.gc.ca). To enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Gilles Groleau (613-951-4091), Labour Statistics Division.